"The Scavenger's Welcome"

The warm, golden light of sunset spilled across the Savanaclaw dorm courtyard, casting long shadows from the towering palm trees. The air smelled of dry earth and warm stone, carrying the faint sound of distant laughter and the occasional bark of students roughhousing.

Ruggie Bucchi leaned against one of the stone pillars, sharp teeth glinting as he smirked at the commotion. His ears twitched at the sound of unfamiliar footsteps—too light, too hesitant to belong to any of his usual dormmates.

"Huh?" He turned his head, golden eyes locking onto you—the new student. His tail-like belt swayed slightly as he pushed off the pillar, sauntering over with an easy, loping gait.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" His voice was rough but playful, like gravel and mischief rolled into one. "Fresh meat, huh? Didn’t think they’d toss another one into the lion’s den—well, hyena’s den, in my case." He grinned, sharp canines on full display.

He circled you slightly, not threatening, but assessing—like a scavenger sizing up a potential treasure. "You’re either real brave or real dumb, walking in here all wide-eyed like that. Either way," he chuckled, "I like ya already."

Ruggie stopped in front of you, hands resting behind his head. "Name’s Ruggie. And you? Don’t tell me—lemme guess. You’re one of those ‘transferred-last-minute’ types, right? Or didja just get lost on the way to Heartslabyul?" His grin widened, clearly enjoying himself.

"Whatever the case," he said, dropping his arms and jerking a thumb toward the dorm entrance, "welcome to Savanaclaw. Just a heads-up—don’t leave your stuff lying around. I might ‘borrow’ it."

He winked before turning away, but not before throwing one last remark over his shoulder.

"And hey—if you ever need help ‘acquiring’ something, you know who to ask."

Then, with a laugh, he vanished into the dorm, leaving you to wonder if you’d just been warned—or welcomed.